Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Situational Report on
Human Trafficking in
Jharkhand
Shakti Vahini
Page |2
Principal Researcher
Advocate Ravi Kant, President Shakti Vahni
Consultant
Saie Shetye, Phd Scholar ,Tata Instiute of Social Sciences
Research Team
Subir Roy
Pranjita Borah
Jaspreet Kaur
Page |3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Table of Contents
A
List of Abbreviations
Methodology
Introduction
Overview of Jharkhand
Trafficking in Jharkhand
10
25
NGO Initiatives
33
Judicial Intervention
35
Recommendations
37
References
40
Case studies
41
10
Media Clippings
47
Page |4
Table/
Figure
Title
Page
No.
Table 3.1.1
11
Table 3.1.2
12
Table 3.1.3
13
Table 3.1.4
14
15
Table 3.4.1
21
Table 4.1
25
Table 4.2
26
10
Table 4.1.1
30
11
Table 4.1.2
32
12
Table 6.1
35
Trafficking routes
25
Page |5
List of Abbreviations
AHTU- Anti Human Trafficking Unit
ATSEC- Action Against Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation of Children
BDO- Block Development Officer
BKS- Bharatiya Kisan Sangh
CID- Crime Investigation Department
CPC- Child Protection Committee
CRPF- Central Reserve Police Force
CrPC- Code of Criminal Procedure
CWC- Child Welfare Committee
DSS- Diya Seva Sansthan
FIR- First Information Report
ICPS- Integrated Child Protection Scheme
JHALSA- Jharkhand State Legal Services Authority
JMSS- Jharkhand Mahila Samakhya Society
JSCPCR- Jharkhand State Commission for Protection of Child Rights
KGBV- Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidhyalaya
MHA- Ministry of Home Affairs
NGO- Non- Governmental Organization
SOP- Standard Operation Procedure
SPO- Special Police Officer
STCI- Save the Children India
UNICEF- United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund
UNODC- United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
WP- Writ Petition
Page |6
Methodology
For the present report data has been collected in the month of February, 2015.
The report has relied mainly on secondary data given the paucity of time for field
visits. Secondary data has been collected from CID-Jharkhand, Diya Seva
Sansthan, Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, Jharkhand Mahila Samakhya Society and Anti
Human Trafficking Units in Khunti and Ranchi.
Apart from this primary data was collected through interviews with police officers
in Khunti and Ranchi, NGO personnel working from Ranchi, member of State
Commission for Protection of Child Rights, and a member of Child Welfare
Committee.
The researcher also visited a Mahila Shikshan Kendra under Mahila Samakhya
Society in Khunti which houses mainly minor female survivors of trafficking and
also Kishori Niketan run by Bharatiya Kisan Sangh in Bijupada, Chanhu, Ranchi.
Valuable Inputs were also taken from Shri Anurag Gupta, IG ,Jharkhand Police.
Page |7
1. Introduction:
Jharkhand has today emerged as a major source area for intra-country
trafficking in India. Most of the trafficking from Jharkhand is of tribals for
domestic labour to metropolitan cities where there is a demand for such work. In
cities like Delhi, a number of illegal placement agencies have cropped up. These
agencies take advantage of legal loopholes to traffic mostly innocent girls in the
name of providing employment but instead are put into extreme conditions of
forced labour. 12-14 hours of work every day is a routine practice for these girls.
Many of those rescued also report physical and sexual abuse. Several cases of
Sexual slavery have also been reported from the victims rescued in Delhi. Some
of the victims are trafficked to Haryana and Punjab for the purpose of Bonded
Labour and Forced marriage.
Recent news reports also point to the emergence of trafficking of women from
Jharkhand for surrogacy, deliver babies who are then sold off. 1
Jharkhand is not only a source but also a destination for the victims trafficked
for sexual exploitation. There are Red Light areas existing in the districts of
Dhanbad, Bokaro and Hazaribag. The trafficking affected districts include Gumla,
Garwah, Sahibganj, Dumka, Pakur, West Singhbhum (Chaibasa), Ranchi,
Palamu, Hazaribag, Dhanbad, Bokara, Girdih, Kodarma and Lohardagga. Most of
the women trafficked from Jharkhand belong to Oraon, Munda, Santhal
(including endangered Pahariya ) and Gond tribes, out of which, maximum are
from Oraon and Munda. The Palamau and Garhwa districts are highly prone to
trafficking for child labour in the carpet industry in Uttar Pradesh. Jharkhand is
also a transit for the traffickers trafficking girls from Chattisgarh. The traffickers
or the placement agents of the tribal states like Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa
and West Bengal are working in close network.
Trafficking of children from Jharkhand mostly takes place through the well
organized placement agency rackets in Delhi. These placement agencies supply
tribal children to the homes of National Capital Region consisting of Delhi,
Faridabad, Gurgaon and Noida. These agencies mostly target the children of age
group 11-16 who remain tight lipped even after exploitation. The trafficked
victims are kept in congested rooms, fed barely enough for survival till they are
placed somewhere. The luckier ones land in a kothi as a domestic help. The
others are sold in marriage or to a brothel where they suffer never-ending abuse
in all forms. These victims of trafficking have to go through series of exploitation
starting from the source-traffickers, placement agents and employers.
Roy Sourav, (2015, February 25),Trafficked tribal girls forced to conceive, deliver
babies
for
sale,
Hindustan
Times,
Lohardaga/
Gumla.
Retrieved
from
Page |8
Page |9
2. Overview of Jharkhand
Jharkhand is a state in the eastern part of India. It was carved out of Bihar on
15th November, 2000. The state is made up of 24 districts. It consists of the
Chotanagpur plateau and extends to Santhal Parganas. It also has huge forest
reserves. 29.61% of the geographical area of the state is covered by forests.
Jharkhand's eight districts of Garhwa, Giridih, Gumla, Khunti, Latehar, Palamu,
Simdega and West Singhbhum are considered badly affected by Left Wing
Extremism 2.
According to the 2011 census the population of Jharkhand is 32,988,134 (Male16,930315 and Female- 16,057,819). The sex ratio is 948 (National Average943). The literacy rate is 66.40% (National Average- 72.99) but there is a
significant difference in the rate for males (76.84%, National Average- 80.89)
and that for females (52.04%, National Average- 64.64). Female literacy rate of
PTI, (2013, April 12), 26 districts highly naxal-hit in the country: govt. Hindustan
Times,
New
Delhi.
Retrieved
from
http://www.hindustantimes.com/newdelhi/26-
P a g e | 10
Jharkhand is a state with a fairly large tribal population. While the national
average of Scheduled Tribess is 10.4% of the total population, the tribal
population of Jharkhand accounts for 26.21 per cent of its total population.
According to the Society for Regional Research and Analysis (2010), about
91.7% of this population is based in rural and forest area. In some districts like
Khunti (73.3%), Simdega (70.8%), Gumla (68.9%), West Singhbhum (67.3%),
Lohardaga (56.9%) the population of tribals is more than 50% of the total
population. Districts that have 25% to 50% of tribal population are Latehar
(45.5%), Dumka (43.2%), Pakur (43.1%), Ranchi (35.8%), Debagarh (35.3%),
Saraikela- Kharsawan (35.2%), East Singhbhum (28.5%), Sahibganj (26.8%)
(Statistical Profile of Scheduled Tribes in India, 2013). Some of these districts
are also the ones that record high incidences of trafficking. There are 30
different tribal groups, representing Negrito, Proto-Australoid, Mongoloid,
Mediterranean and Nordic races. The Hos, Santhals, Oraons and Mundas
together constitute almost four-fifths of the total tribal population of the state.
(Jharkhand Tribal Development Programme, 2008). These tribes are mainly
agriculturist-cum-gatherers (Kelkar and Nathan, 1991) The Society for Regional
Research and Analysis (2010) found that education in the interior tribal areas is
still a major problem in spite of the ongoing national mission programme of
Sarva Siksha Abhiyan. More than 60% of the surveyed families in Jharkhand
state were found to be illiterate and more than one-fourth of the tribal families
in M.P and Jharkhand were also found to be illiterate. According to the Census
of India (2011) the literacy rate in Jharkhand for tribal males is 68.2% and that
for tribal females is 46.2% which is significantly lower than the national
averages.
Jharkhand is a mineral rich state with a variety of minerals ranging from Iron ore
(Singhbhum district), Copper ore (East Singhbhum), Coal (Dhanbad, Bokaro,
Hazaribagh, Chatra, Sahibganj), Mica, Bauxite, Fire clay, Graphite (Palamu),
Kyanite, Sillimanite, Lime Stone (Palamu, Hazaribagh, Singhbhum, Ranchi),
Uranium and other minerals. Jharkhand is one of the leading producer of mineral
wealth in the country. But unfortunately the fruits of mining and industrialization
in Jharkhand have failed to reach the tribals in the state.
3. Trafficking in Jharkhand
According to UNODCs (2013) India Country Assessment Report: Current Status
of Victim Service Providers and Criminal Justice Actors on Anti Human
Trafficking, red light areas exist in the districts of Dhanbad, Bokaro and
Hazaribag. The trafficking affected districts include Garwah, Sahibganj, Dumka,
Pakur, West Singhbhum (Chaibasa), Ranchi, Palamu, Hazaribag, Dhanbad,
Bokara, Girdih, Kodarma and Lohardaga. Most of the women trafficked from
Jharkhand belong to Oraon, Munda, Santhal (including endangered Pahariya )
and Gond tribes, out of which, maximum are from Oraon and Munda.
P a g e | 11
District
Ranchi
Lohardaga
Gumla
Simdega
Khunti
Chaibasa
Saraikela
Jamshedpur
Palamu
Garhwa
Latehar
Hazirabag
Koderma
Giridih
Chatra
Ramgarh
Bokaro
Dhanbad
Dumka
Godda
Sahebganj
Pakur
Deogarh
Jamtarah
Rail
Dhanbad
Rail
Jamshedpur
200
6
2
0
2
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
200
7
2
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
3
2008
2010
5
0
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
2
0
0
0
0
200
9
9
0
9
0
4
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
10
11
2012
2013
2014
11
1
3
0
1
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
1
0
0
201
1
14
1
8
2
4
1
0
1
1
1
0
0
0
2
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
22
1
13
11
2
1
0
3
3
1
3
0
2
7
1
0
0
0
0
1
6
0
2
1
2
10
6
20
12
13
8
1
0
0
0
7
0
0
4
1
0
0
1
1
0
5
3
0
1
3
16
9
42
11
23
13
2
0
0
1
5
3
1
1
0
0
0
0
7
2
2
7
1
0
0
26
25
44
83
96
147
These figures can only be said to be a tip of the iceberg. While authentic
statistics of number of incidences are not available but NGO estimates there are
about 42,000 domestic workers in India who have migrated from Jharkhand
(ATSEC, 2010). Many of these trafficked. Estimates of trafficking for other
purposes are unavailable. The same ATSEC report goes on to reveal that 12 to
15 years is the most preferred age group for employment in domestic labour.
80% of these are females and minors. They are not paid well, rarely have any
contact with the family and are made to work for 12 to 14 hours (UNODC,
2013).
P a g e | 12
According to the Census of India the number of children between the age group
of 5 to 14 years working in Jharkhand is 90,996 in 2011 3 In such a situation it
would be important to draw attention to missing women and children. In a
landmark study of trafficking in India, Sen and Nair (2005) revealed a link
between missing women and children and trafficking. Records of rescued
revealed that they had been reported missing in their native places. Hence, it
becomes pertinent to also look at data on missing children in the context of
Jharkhand.
Bachpan Bachao Andolan (2012) then attempted to consolidate data on missing
children using various sources. It received data from 12 of the 24 districts of
Jharkhand. According to this report Jharkhand reported 320 missing children
between 2008 and 2010. Of these 45% were not traced. The district wise details
of missing children between 2008 and 2010 are given below.
Table 3.1.2: Number of children missing in Jharkhand, January 2008 to
January 2010
Sr.
No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
Total
District
Ranchi
Lohardaga
Gumla
Simdega
Khunti
Chaibasa
Saraikela
Jamshedpur
Palamu
Garhwa
Latehar
Hazirabag
Koderma
Giridih
Chatra
Ramgarh
Bokaro
Dhanbad
Dumka
Godda
Sahebganj
Pakur
Deogarh
Jamtarah
Reported
Traced
Untraced
40
9
12
3
28
6
150
76
74
21
12
82
71
11
6
3
4
2
2
1
320
178
142
P a g e | 13
Following this better data has been retrieved from CID, Jharkhand for the years
2011-2013.
Table 3.1.3: Number of missing children in Jharkhand, 2011-2013
Sr.
No.
District
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Ranchi
Lohardaga
Gumla
Simdega
Khunti
Chaibasa
Saraikela
Jamshedpu
r
Palamu
Garhwa
Latehar
Hazirabag
Koderma
Giridih
Chatra
Ramgarh
Bokaro
Dhanbad
Dumka
Godda
Sahebganj
Pakur
Deogarh
Jamtarah
Rail
Dhanbad
Rail
Jamshedpu
r
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
Tota
l
2011
2012
2013
R
35
14
2
3
7
34
26
26
T
2
13
0
2
6
31
23
24
Ut
33
1
2
1
1
3
3
2
FIR
0
14
2
1
0
2
0
2
R
60
12
16
6
12
27
17
50
T
0
8
15
6
11
20
17
48
Ut
60
4
1
0
1
7
0
2
FIR
0
6
1
0
1
2
0
2
R
110
3
45
5
53
13
15
37
T
24
2
38
1
20
8
14
32
Ut
86
1
7
4
33
5
1
5
FIR
23
3
4
4
4
5
1
6
29
13
6
6
18
44
8
15
41
79
5
14
7
4
32
11
4
26
13
6
6
16
42
5
11
40
78
5
14
5
4
32
6
0
3
0
0
0
2
2
3
4
1
1
0
0
2
0
0
5
4
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
-
16
24
11
37
10
56
15
14
35
69
2
15
32
6
42
16
1
14
3
11
33
7
47
4
8
32
68
1
13
22
6
42
5
0
2
21
0
4
3
9
11
6
3
1
1
2
10
0
0
11
1
2
2
4
0
4
0
0
3
1
2
1
0
0
0
21
18
13
51
22
40
20
28
36
43
0
11
11
9
34
5
0
20
3
13
45
16
36
14
14
32
43
0
8
6
3
34
1
0
1
15
0
6
6
4
6
14
4
0
0
3
5
6
0
4
0
1
0
1
0
4
0
2
4
0
0
3
0
1
0
0
48
6
41
2
74
26
60
5
44
4
161
31
645
42
8
21
7
66
P a g e | 14
As per data submitted by the Ministry of Home Affairs to the Lok Sabha the
details of the missing children of Jharkhand are as follows:
2012
2013
2014
Male
298
Not reported
Not reported
Female
675
Not reported
Not reported
No.
Missing
62
of Number
Traced
55
of FIR
Registered
5
Garhwa
78
55
10
Gumla
77
26
Singbhum
246
115
Pakur
30
14
Simdega
17
10
Godda
12
12
Palamu
182
100
82
Dhanbad
543
400
23
Koderma
40
22
Ramgarh
118
94
19
Jamtara
22
19
Chatra
35
33
Sahebganaj
84
50
In order to tackle the problem of missing children the CID, Jharkhand started a
missing children helpline with an organization named Diya Seva Sansthan since
October 2013. This helpline alone recorded 2298 calls in the year 2014. Out of
P a g e | 15
these 168 cases were registered by them and 79 FIRs were filed with the police.
This resulted in the recovery of 112 children.
Source: A Brief Report on Missing Children Helpline (2014), Diya Seva Sansthan.
Recently another helpline was launched since October 2014 by Save the
Children, India and UNICEF which is attached to the State Resource Centre,
Government of Jharkhand. It remains to be seen if these recent initiatives will be
effective in tracing Jharkhands missing children.
3.2 Sectors of Exploitation:
Tribal women and girls account for the most of the trafficking victims and
survivors of trafficking. They are mainly exploited for domestic labour, marriage
and to brick kilns.
Migration of the tribal population from Jharkhand, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and
Chhattisgarh has been taking place since the last three centuries and more.
During the period 1950 and 1980, tribal people migrated to the rural areas of
Bihar, West Bengal mainly to work as agricultural labour, but from 1980
onwards, they started migrating to bigger cities like Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai
(Society for Regional Research and Analysis (2010)). Also, migration of single
women has increased.
These migrating women and girls are vulnerable to trafficking through placement
agencies whose agents are spread across Jharkhand.
3.2.1 Domestic Labour through Placement agencies:
This is the most common sector where trafficked victims from Jharkhand are
exploited. Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru are the most common destinations.
P a g e | 16
P a g e | 17
state strive for brides and therefore bring young girls and women from different
parts of the country. Traffickers of the state are in good link with the local
people in Jharkhand who acts as the mediator in arranging brides for them. In
this particular case too, the accused persons were in contact with a local woman
in whose house the marriage with a minor girl was supposed to be held. The
villagers found it suspicious and informed the police.
Roy Sourav, (2015, February 25),Trafficked tribal girls forced to conceive, deliver
babies
for
sale,
Hindustan
Times,
Lohardaga/
Gumla.
Retrieved
from
P a g e | 18
Philip Shalu and Deepu Sebastian Edward, (2014, June 9), Kerala to send children
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/kerala-to-send-children-back-
P a g e | 19
As mentioned earlier, tribals account for the most of those trafficked. Tribals are
also regular migrants. In recent years they have been migrating due to lack of
employment, poverty, displacement, natural calamity and from internal conflict
areas. These factors also force them to lose
their traditional source of livelihood.
One such group of women was interviewed
at a chowk (crossroad) in Ranchi. These
women had to look for daily wage jobs as a
reja (unskilled job at a construction site)
after being displaced by a dam construction
project. Some of their neighbours chose to
go to bigger cities like Delhi for jobs
through agents instead. Many of these end
up in exploitative forced labour and
domestic labour situations.
The traditional sources of income for tribals
include agriculture. But due to lack of
irrigation facilities this is not sustainable.
Apart from that they gather firewood, work
on
bamboo
items
under
livelihood
programs, make local beer (haria).
Because these are not sustainable many
tribals migrate to cities through agents who
exploit them.
P a g e | 20
Kislaya Kelly, (2014, August 18), Trafficking kingpin reveals nexus with politicians,
PLFI,
Times
of
India,
Ranchi.
Retrieved
from
P a g e | 21
Most of the trafficking from Jharkhand happens through the railways. From their
villages traffickers get the victims to main railway stations of the district. One of
these is Ranchi railway station and the Jharkhand Samrark Kranti Express that
originates from here has been dubbed as the slavery express 7. This train is a
popular option for traffickers taking persons from Jharkhand to Delhi. It is
preferred as it leaves Ranchi late in the night when vigilance is low. It also goes
through various districts of Jharkhand before entering Uttar Pradesh and
proceeding towards Delhi. These halts within Jharkhand are all in the night.
Another popularly used train that travels extensively through Jharkhand before
proceeding further is the Swarn Jayanti Express.
For bride trafficking to Haryana and Punjab, Delhi is being used as the transit
point. In most of the cases the girls are being brought and kept in Delhi in the
illegally run placement agencies for some days and they are transferred to the
destination villages of Haryana and Punjab.
In this section some of these routes and railway stations will be highlighted.
Table 3.4.1: Trafficking routes
Sr.
No.
Palamu
Dumka
Dumka
Pakaur
Pakaur, Dhanbad
Ranchi
Latehar
Lohardaga
Gumla
Simdega
Manish Sai, (2015, January 23), Poor policing lets slave traders off the hook, Daily
News & Analysis, Ranchi. Retrieved from http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-poorpolicing-lets-slave-traders-off-the-hook-2054885 on 5th February, 2015.
P a g e | 22
Chaibasa
10
Sahibganj
11
Khunti
P a g e | 23
Pandit Ambika, (2014, July 21), Jharkhand haats, melas hotbeds for traffickers, Times
P a g e | 24
salary but this never reaches the family and the job may end up being worse
than what was promised. It is only months later that the families realize that the
whereabouts of their children are unknown and neither can the agent be traced.
Image: Women waiting for work at Lalpur Chowk, Ranchi
Investigations of an AHTU also found that once victims reach the placement
agency in a metropolitan city the ages and names of the girls are changed.
Minors are shown to be majors on their employment documents.
Once the children are taken to the placement agencies in Delhi, the agency
owner look for the suitable employer. The agent get the Domestic
Servant/Employee verification form signed by the police station of the area
where the agency is located irrespective of the police station under which
jurisdiction the victim is employed. The placement agent does an agreement of
11 months with the employer with the condition that if the employer wants to
continue with the same maid there will be a new contract signed. The agency
takes Rs.25000 to Rs30000/- as the commission from the employer along with
the advance of two months wage which varies from Rs.2000/- to Rs.3000/-. This
amount hardly reaches to the victims family. In spite of this every month the
agent collects the wages of the maid from the employer. In most of the cases
the agent take the victim from the employers house after the completion of the
agreement period and employ the same child to another employer and collect
the commission again. While collecting money the agents get a voucher signed
by the agency owner introducing himself/herself as the relative of the victim.
Apart from this the employers are asked not to directly pay to the servant but
the agency makes arrangements to collect their salaries every month. This
money is rarely, if ever given to the domestic servants. The agents also use this
money to blackmailing them to traffic more women and girls from their villages.
P a g e | 25
Notification No.
11-43/2011
(5818)
Home
Department
1-81/
(3735)
Home
Gist of notification
This notification deals with all aspects of trafficking
from prevention to rescue to rehabilitation. This is in
pursuance of various Writ petitions filed in the
Jharkhand High Court and the orders thus passed. It
has segregated the duties of various departments
(police,
social
welfare,
women
and
child
development, health, education, labour, rural
development) that are expected to work in
coordination with each other. These departments
have to form a committee in each district headed by
a nodal officer to overlook their functioning. The
police is expected to take prompt action in cases of
human trafficking.
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Department
7-2/ 2009 (917)
Home
Department
8-2/ 2011 (696)
Home
Department
10,000/-.
This notifies the setting up of Special Juvenile Police
Units in all 24 districts of Jharkhand. The
Superintendant of Police of each district is to head
this unit.
This order relates to appointment of officers as
Special Police Officers (SPO) u/s 13 of the Immoral
Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956. As per the order all
districts of Jharkhand have a SPO.
Initiative
Anti
Trafficking
(Police)
Child
Welfare All 24
Committees
(CWCs)
District
Child All 24
Protection
Units
(DCPU) under ICPS
CHILDLINE
Five
3
4
Presence
number
Districts
Human Eight
Units
Jharkhand
Mahila Eleven
Samakhya Society
Special
Juvenile All 24
Police Units (SJPU)
Shelter Homes
Under ICPS- 10
Specialized
Adoption Agencies3
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All 24
While appointments have been made under all these, various units like the
women police stations and the AHTUs function without proper infrastructure.
Instead of appointing police officers specially for this specific task, officers have
to work under AHTU while handling their regular police station level duties. Due
to this they cannot completely dedicate themselves to the issue of human
trafficking. There is also a need for training of constabulary level staff of AHTUs
and women police stations.
Child Protection Systems
Jharkhand has appointed Child
Welfare
Committee
in
all
districts. Child Protection officers
and Child Protection units have
also been created. Though the
implementation of the ICPS has
been slow since 2010 but in the
last two tears the Government
has fast tracked it. Training and
Sensitization of Child Protection
mechanisms continues to be a
area of concern.
Child Welfare Committees were
also seen to be working without
basic infrastructure. There is a
need for proper training of CWC
members and also to ensure
regular sittings of the CWCs.
It is important to discuss some
initiatives in details here. These
initiatives mainly deal with
prevention of trafficking and
rehabilitation of survivors.
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JMSS also has a functional State Gender Resource Centre for documentation,
research, capacity building, developing training modules and IEC material.
Apart from this JMSS has initiatives relating to education. One is of Mahila
Shikshan Kendras (MSK). These are residential bridge schools for women and
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Order/
Notification
57/13
1648/13
264/14
Gist of order
This order was passed in furtherance of a landmark
judgment regarding the issue of missing children in
India, WP 75/2012 Bachpan Bachao Andolan v.
Union of India. It orders police officers to record
FIRs in cases of complaints of missing children
treating them as abducted or trafficked. It also
requires the police to record and upload all
information
about
the
missing
child
on
trackingthemissingchild.gov.in and also circulate it is
newspapers and the Missing Persons Bureau. It
orders police to not send a child directly to a shelter
home before the orders of the CWC.
This order relates to requirement of police stations
to fulfill a 21 point criteria (appointment of Child
Welfare Officer, separate room to interview the child
in the premises of the police station, etc) to be
designated as a child friendly police station.
This pertains to immediate action in human
trafficking cases. It orders police to maintain a
record of all places in the vicinity where traffickers
approach potential victims, maintain a list of agents
and placement agencies. It also expects the police
to work in coordination with NGOs, local
governments, SJPUs. It requires quick investigation
and charge sheeting in human trafficking cases,
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274/13
697/11
696/11
To sensitize the police officers the copies of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act,
2013 and the order of the Supreme Court order in the matter of Bachpan Bachao
Andolon Vs Union of India regarding the mandatory registration of FIR in the
case of missing children have been distributed.
In the matter of Gopinath Ghosh Vs The State of Jharkhand vide Writ Petition
no. 1555 of 2013 in the High Court of Jharkhand, the court has directed the Anti
Human Trafficking Unit of Jharkhand to investigate the role of 181 placement
agencies allegedly involved in Trafficking of Women and Children.
An important order along with these is the Advisory on Human Trafficking as
Organized Crime (15011/27/2011-ATC) by the Ministry of Home Affairs,
Government of India, dated 30th April, 2012. It is a comprehensive advisory. It
requires there to be sufficient infrastructure to combat human traffickingAHTUs, Special Police Officers, Local Intelligence Units, Helplines, SOPs and
sensitizations of all the units. It covers all the important procedures to be
followed, evidence to be collected as source, transit and destination. It also
sheds light on money laundering and confiscation of property under various
Indian laws in cases of human trafficking.
Police along with NGOs based mainly in Ranchi regularly rescue minors from
railways stations even before they are sent out of the state. Since the
amendment in section 370 of IPC which now defines trafficking, filing of FIRs has
become easier.
Anti Human Trafficking Units:
Not every AHTU has been as sensitive to the crime of human trafficking due to
the lack of training, poor infrastructure and staff shortage among other things.
While Minsitry of Home Affairs, Govt. of India, Jharkhand State Legal Service
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Authority and Jharkhand State Commission for Protection of Child Righs have
initiated various steps to combat the issue of human Trafficking a lot more needs
to be done given the fact that Jharkhand has now emerged as a main source
area for Trafficking of women and children.
Table 4.1.2: Helpline numbers related to women and children in
Jharkhand
Name of Helpline
Number
Police Helpline
100
CHILDLINE India
1098
Missing Child Helpline (Jharkhand- CID and DSS)
09471300008
Missing Children Helpline (STCI and UNICEF)
18002002325
Jharkhand State Commission for Protection of Child 09939372800
Rights
Women Helpline (Jharkhand)
09431700003
e-Rahat
1967
Women and Children Cell (Jharkhand)
09771432145
Anti-Human Trafficking (Jharkhand)
18003456531
Jharkhand State Child Protection Society
0651-3059999
Directorate of Social Welfare (Jharkhand)
0651-2400749
Jharkhand State Women Commission
0651-2401849
Jharkhand State Human Rights Commission
0651-2401181
Source: Diya Seva Sansthan,Jharkhand
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5. NGO Initiatives
To counter a crime like human trafficking only the governments initiatives are
not going to be enough. Be it rescues, rehabilitation or prevention NGOs play a
major role in tackling human trafficking. This report would be incomplete without
highlighting their contribution.
5.1 Bharatiya Kisan Sangh
Bharatiya Kisan Sangh is an organization working in Jharkhand since the last
twelve years in the field of Anti Trafficking, Child Rights and Women Rights.
Bharatiya Kisan Sangh is also the secretariat organization for ATSEC Jharkhand
which has undertaken pioneering work in the field of Human trafficking. The
Goverrnment of Jharkhand deeply concerned with the exploitation of victims
from its state has supported Bharatiya Kisan Sangh to run a women and child
helpline based at New Delhi. The helpline reaches out to children rescued in
Delhi and repatriates them to Jharkhand (UNODC, 2013).
Bharatiya Kisan Sangh runs a shelter home for girls in Chanhu Village, Ranchi.
The shelter home housed 20 women and girls at the time of visit for this
research. Of the 20 only 2 were there on orders of the CWC. The rest 18, 17 of
whom were adults were there to be trained for three months to become security
guards in collaboration with CRPF. These 18 were called there through
advertisements in villages affected by left wing extremism through their BDOs.
Bharatiya Kisan Sangh also provides training for housekeeping in hotels and
through placements their trained women and girls are being absorbed into the
hotel industry in Ranchi. Security guards from BKS are seen at their offices,
shelter homes, even in KGBVs across Jharkhand and in many hotels in Ranchi.
This is a great initiative not only for rehabilitation of survivors of trafficking but
also for prevention of trafficking of tribals and re-trafficking of survivors.
5.2 Diya Seva Sansthan
Diya Seva Sansthan has emerged as a strong voice against Human Trafficking
that works round the clock for rescue of children from in and around Ranchi. In
coordination with the state CID it started a helpline for complaints regarding
missing children in October 2013. It has played an active role in the recent
arrests of trafficking kingpins. Diya Seva Sansthan has taken great efforts to
come up with a list of 240 placement agencies and 35 trafficking kingpins to the
state CID. Some recent arrests have been a result of the same. A Writ Petition
1555/2013 in the Jharkhand High Court also pertains to this same list. 14 of
these 35 have been arrested to date, the latest being Sunita Tigga who was also
trafficking women and girls under the guise of a NGO names Sewa Bharati 9.
Mukesh ASRP, (2015, 7th February), Woman trafficker caught with minor girls. The
Telegraph,
Ranchi.
Retrieved
from
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1150207/jsp/jharkhand/story_1908.jsp#.VPcwk_mUeVY
on 3rd March, 2015
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6. Judicial Intervention
The Supreme Court as well as the Jharkhand High Court have been playing a
very proactive role in ensuring that the state acts on cases of human trafficking.
This section discusses some landmark cases of both the courts in brief.
Table 6.1: Some important court cases relating to human trafficking
Sr.
No.
1
Case Number
Court
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Ors.
WP
6824/
2011, Baliram
Paswan
and
Ors v. State of
Jharkhand and
Ors
WP
1555/
2013, Gopinath
Ghosh v. State
of
Jharkhand
and Ors.
WP 139/2011, High Court
Bachpan
of
Bachao
Jharkhand
Andolan
v.
State
of
Jharkhand and
Ors.
P a g e | 37
7. Recommendations
Trafficking from Jharkhand, as has been established affects mostly tribals.
Poverty, unemployment, left-wing extremism, displacement are the causes for
it. Keeping in mind these factors the following recommendations are give
7.1Dealing with missing children
From the report it is clear that the court judgments regarding missing children
are not being followed. There is an immediate need for change in this regard.
The police force needs to be sensitized to realise the alarming situation the state
is faced with. Sensitization of police officers has to be a regular and repetitive
activity. They also need to be made aware of their obligations with reference to
court judgments and government orders.
Family members may not be aware of the criminal justice system and their legal
options if a child goes missing. In such circumstances school teachers need to be
sensitized to probe every school drop out to rule out trafficking and report the
case to the police if required. Teachers can also be of great help in nabbing
traffickers who approach girls on their way back from schools.
7.2 Child Protection Committees
These are to be formed under the District Child Protection Units under ICPS.
UNICEF has identified best practice for the formation of these committees to
organize communities to protect children beginning with awareness . While
DCPUs have been established in all districts of Jharkhand they remain
ineffective. Hence at this stage it may be helpful to glance at the guideline by
UNICEF. To begin with, grass root government mechanisms as well as NGOs
need to be identified. Next it is important to survey the situation of children,
share the findings, train volunteers, form childrens, adolescent girls groups and
youth groups. After this is the step of informing the government officers and
forming the Child Protection Committee (CPCs) at the village and the block
levels. The CPCs should include school representatives, anganwadi workers,
people who are directly involved in and concerned about the affairs of the
community. The CPC members then need to be trained about child rights,
interventions in case of violations. During all this the existing government
departments and the CPC have to work in coordination.
7.3Livelihood Programs
On the prevention side, there is a need to have sustainable livelihood
programmes, especially for women and girls who are more vulnerable to
trafficking. These will prevent women and girls from putting themselves in
vulnerable situations and agreeing to unsafe migration through agents/
P a g e | 38
Coordination
rehabilitation
between
different
departments
for
holistic
Rescue is only the first step to complete rehabilitation which is a much longer
process. Various government departments like Women and Child Development,
Social Welfare, Labour, Education, Health etc. need to work together to chalk out
individualized plans for rehabilitations and then also work together to ensure the
proper implementation of the plans. An important aspect of rehabilitation that
needs to be tackled with is the paucity of shelter homes in Jharkhand especially
when compared to the magnitude of trafficking. There is an overall need to
strengthen child protection mechanism within the state which includes police,
Child welfare committees, DCPUs etc.
7.5Awareness
Awareness campaigns cannot only focus of the negative effects of migrating. The
awareness campaigns should rather make the target population aware of the
legal mechanisms in case they find themselves in trouble. They should be
provided with helpline numbers. They and their families should be made aware
of the need of maintaining contact.
7.6 Improvement in infrastructure
Many departments in Jharkhand are presently working with poor infrastructure.
Lack of space, vehicles and dedicated staff are a problem AHTUs are facing.
CWCs also lack basic infrastructure and office equipments.
7.7Need for a Law to regulate placement agencies
Given the magnitude of trafficking of mainly women and girls through
placement agencies and also the freedom with which these agencies operate,
there is an urgent need for the state of Jharkhand to pass a law to regulate
these agencies. At present they are taking full advantage of this legal lacunae.
The Delhi Government passed and order on 25th September, 2014 realising this
urgency for the regulation of placement agencies in Delhi. It requires a domestic
worker to be above the age of 18 years. All placement agencies are to register
with the Labour Department under the Delhi Shops and Establishment Act, 1954
and then also apply for a license to run a placement agency. It also has
provisions for opening bank accounts for domestic workers and giving them
control of the accounts where their salaries will be deposited.
The state of Chhatisgarh also realising the importance of such law passed one
back in 2013 (The Chhatisgarh Private Placement Agencies (Regulation) Act,
2013). This Act appoints an officer not below Sub-Divisional magistrate as the
controlling authority. Placement agencies apart from having to register cannot
provide work to anyone below 18 years of age, cannot charge any amount for
P a g e | 39
providing work. This Act also heavy fines upto Rs. 1 lakh for violation of
provisions.
The State of Jharkhand will definitely help from a law on similar lines to ensure
that the menace of placement agencies is curbed.
7.8 Training and sensitization of Law Enforcement , Child Protection
Personnel
During the course of data collection it became clear that there is no mechanism
for regular training of law enforcement and child protection personnel. Although
there is an occasional workshop or training session by JHALSA, UNICEF, there is
a need to do a lot more. Constabulary of the police is quite often left out of
training and sensitization programs. A need was also felt to train and update
Child Welfare Committees, AHTUs about latest court judgments and
developments. These programs need to be held regularly, to include staff across
all levels. Training and sensitization programs for various stakeholders under
one roof can also help provide a common platform for the stakeholders to
discuss and resolve issues to ensure smooth functioning of the entire protection
system.
7.9 Strengthening Track Child Initiative in Jharkhand
The Track Child initiative by the Ministry of Women and Child Development,
Government of India under ICPS is another initiative in the right direction, but
which needs to be strengthened in Jharkhand. Under this initiative a website
(http://www.trackthemissingchild.gov.in/) has been formed to share information
about missing and found children. It also provides for all details of concerned
personnel within the child protection mechanism, police, CWCs, DCPUs, shelter
homes etc. While this is a great initiative it requires strengthening, regular
updating of information and training of personnel to do so. This initiative
requires strengthening not only in Jharkhand but across the country to help
provide care and protection to children.
7.10 Strenthening systems for safe migration
With there being lack of education, employment and a vulnerable population to
trafficking, safe migration practices need to be stressed to prevent trafficking.
Apart from a law for regulating placement agencies, the Inter-State Migrant
Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979
needs to be implemented to protect workers from any exploitation from
contractors and employers, regular payment of at least minimum wages. Apart
from this migrating workers need to be made aware of their rights before
migrating, the wages they should be demanding. They need to be provided with
helpline contacts in case of any need. Police and helpline providers need to be
vigilant at transit points like railway stations and bus stops where traffickers lure
potential victims.
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References
Anand Avinash (2013), Factors Influencing Human Trafficking in Source Area: A
Study in Jharkhand State, Tata Institute of Social Sciences. (Unpublished
Project Report submitted to TISS in Partial Fulfillment of the Master of Arts
Degree in Social Work).
ATSEC (2010), Childhood on Fire, Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, ATSEC Jharkhand.
Bachpan Badhao Andolan (2012), Missing Children of India,Vitasta Publishing.
Census of India (2011)
Diya Seva Sansthan, A brief report on missing children helpline (9471300008),
Unpublished report for the year 2014.
Jharkhand Tribal Development Programme (2008), Mid-term Evaluation Report,
Jharkhand Tribal Development Programme, Government of Jharkhand.
Kelkar Govind and Dev Nathan, (1991), Gender and Tribe: Women, Land and
Forests in Jharkhand, Kali for Women, New Delhi.
Ministry of Tribal Affairs (2013), Statistical Profile of Scheduled Tribes in India
2013, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Statistical Division, Government of India.
Sen Shankar and P. M. Nair, (2005), Trafficking in Women and Children in India,
Orient Longman Private Limited, New Delhi.
Society for Regional Research and Analysis (2010), Migration of Tribal Women:
Its Socio-economic Effects- An in-depth Study of Chhatisgarh, Jharkhand, M.P
and Orissa, Planning Commission, Government of India.
UNODC (2013), Current Status of Victim Service Providers and Criminal Justice
Actors in India on Anti Human Trafficking: India Country Assessment, UNODC.
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Police, Shakti Vahini and CHILDLINE Gurgaon in August 2014. Acting on a tip-off
received from a well-wisher who found the child roaming alone confused and
destitute near the metro station, Gurgaon Police informed the matter to Shakti
Vahini and Guragon CHILDLINE and were requested for intervention. The minor
girl while describing her ordeal said that she was allegedly being brought to
Delhi with few more girls by a person for the purpose of providing them work.
After reaching Delhi, the person placed all the girls including her in different
households as domestic maids. As per the information provided by the minor
girl, she was placed in a household in Delhi where she had to do all the
household chores including baby-sitting. While working in the house she
befriended a person named Sanju living next door to her employers house who
was an auto driver. On Saturday, the boy luring her took her out of the house
and allegedly raped her and then abandoned her near the metro
station. According to the girl, the boy had also sexually assaulted her many
times before. A case under the POCSO Act was registered against the auto driver
in Gurgaon. Meantime Shakti Vahini contacted Jharkhand Police and
communicated the matter of the childs rescue and later in coordination with the
Police traced out the family of the child. Accordingly, the mother of the child
arrived at Delhi and later she was given the custody of her daughter.
4.Media advocacy help trafficked victims reach home safe
A year back in February 2014, parents of two young girls, Nikita and Runa
(names changed) arrived at Delhi in search of their daughter who were brought
to Delhi 5 years back by one Rajkumar and his wife on the pretext of good job.
Since then they have not heard from them. Hindustan times reported the matter
interviewing the two parents of both the girls under the title "Hoping for a
better life, they lost their daughters" It was also reported that Rajkumar
threatened them to kill their daughters if they kept on enquiring about them.
Earlier too the parents arrived at Delhi in search of the girl as they were
informed that both the girls were working at a house in Vasant Vihar, Delhi. But,
when they reached at the house the employer informed that the girls were not
reporting at the household for work since a long time. Shakti Vahini taking
cognizance of the report, contacted the parents of the children. It also facilitated
in arranging a meeting of the parents with the National Commission for
Protection of Child Rights and the higher officials of the Police Department.
Advocacy with the Senior officials and also the close scrutiny of media was
creating a lot of pressure amongst the placement agents. A case was also
registered at the local Police Station in Delhi against the traffickers. However,
after a day or two after the publication of the case in the newspaper, Shakti
vahini received information from Gumla district that both the girls had reached
the local Police Station and as per them the traffickers left them in Jharkhand
and escaped. Later, the girls were brought to Delhi and produced before the
Child Welfare Committee and were then sent back to home with their parents.
5. Girl rescued with the help of co-passenger in bus: level of sensitization
seems increasing
P a g e | 44
of
victims
of
trafficking
through
Child
Welfare
Nisha and Nikita (names changed) who were brought to Delhi from Chatra district
of Jharkhand were rescued by CHILDLINE and Delhi Police from child labour from
the house of their employers in Delhi. Both of them were trafficked to Delhi on
the pretext of good jobs but were later placed at the households as domestic
maids. After the rescue, both the children were produced before the Child
Welfare Committee which directed both there employers to submit the required
amount that the child were supposed to receive as their pending wages during
their stay as domestic helps in the respective households in the form of Demand
Draft. Accordingly, the employers submitted the Demand Drafts of Rs 1,94,064
P a g e | 45
and Rs 48516 in the name of both girls respectively. The Child Welfare
Committee then directed Shakti Vahini to help the family of both the girls in
opening the bank accounts in the name of both the girls in their respective
hometowns in Chatra so that the concerned amount of money could be
transferred to it. Accordingly, Shakti Vahini wrote a letter to the Deputy
Commissioner, Chatra District, Jharkhand with a copy to the Bank Manager, Bank
of India, Simaria Branch requesting to direct the concerned officers to open the
bank accounts. Accordingly, with a close coordination between Shakti vahini and
the stakeholders in Jharkhand the accounts of both the girls were opened at the
Bank.
8. In a way to save younger sister, elder sister falls under the clutches of
placement agents
Shikha (name changed) who in a way to rescue her younger sister landed up
under the clutches of the placement agents who exploited her in every possible
way. Shikha, 22, was working as a domestic maid at a household in Noida. When
she came to know from her family members that they were unknown about the
whereabouts of her younger sister, Nisha (name changed), she came out in
search of her to the Placement Agency through which her sister was being
placed. When she reached their the agents kept her waiting stating that her sister
had gone out and would be coming soon. With hope of meeting her sister Shikha
kept waiting but to her worst dreams she was raped by the placement agents and
threatened her not to disclose it to anybody. She was too kept in confinement.
However, she somehow managed to get out of the house and contact the Police
by dialing emergency number 100 wherein the Police intervened. A case of rape
was also registered at the Police Station. However, one Prabha Muni appeared
before the Police claiming to be a Social Worker in an NGO and also asked for her
custody. The Police of the local Police Station too without any verification handed
her over to the lady. Prabha Muni who was too a trafficking agent took her under
her clutches and started torturing her. Her mobile phone was also snatched
away. However, one day Shikha managed to call her brother and narrated her
ordeal. Her brother than contacted Shakti Vahini and requested for help which
then later rescued her. After rescue she was provided shelter in a Shelter Home
in Delhi.
9.Employers flies away to a foreign country leaving minor girl locked
inside the house
Kuki (name changed), a 13 year old girl was lured on the pretext of a better life
in Indias capital. She was taken by her so called uncle, who later handed her
over to an illegally run placement agency. She came with him as it was difficult
for her mother to feed the whole family. But after reaching Delhi she found her
life far from what she was promised. She was employed as domestic help in the
house of a doctor couple. She was forced to work long hours, never got paid and
was not being given proper diet. Her day used to start at 6am and ends at 11pm.
She was forced to work all kinds of household chores and also to look after the
employers child of almost her age. She was also forced to clean the employers
P a g e | 46
clinic where she was exposed to toxic materials and various hazards chemicals.
The child was kept in bonded condition by the doctor couple and not allowed to
go outside alone. To her surprise the doctor couple went for a weeklong vacation
to a foreign country by locking her inside. On the fourth day the child became
starved. She acquired the courage to raise alarm by peeping through the window.
The RWA president noticed her alarm and informed Shakti Vahini. The girl was
then rescued with the help of a fire brigade team as there was no way to take her
down from the second floor. Her education is taken care of the State government
of Jharkhand.
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While 31 girls are being trained by the CRPF's 94 battalion in Khunti, similar
training is being given to another 35 girls by 197 battalion in Chaibasa under the
banner project Rupantaran.
The training includes drills and physical exercises, learning road traffic rules,
elementary Hindi and English apart from computer and human rights educations.
The girls are also being trained to handle conflict situations. The training
programme is three-month long, but after three-four weeks, the trainees are
already full of hope and ready to take on the world.
A trainee Monika Purti said, "Since I was a child I wanted to join the police force.
I tried but could not succeed... CRPF is training us so that we can crack
competitive exams for police and paramilitary forces. Our morale was down
earlier, but because of the training we now don't want to go back to our village
anymore."
Another trainee Basanti Kumari said, "They are giving good training and we hope
we will get jobs."
Life has totally changed for these girls even before their training is over. These
self-assured and poised trainees have fresh approach to life and are moving
ahead with time at a faster pace.
Vulnerable to Naxal threat
Project Rupantaran might be aimed at empowering young girls from the tribal
regions of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Odisha, but the fact is that this selfdefence training has exposed these girls to the Naxal threat even more.
Now the Naxalites are looking to recruit these girls not just for combat, but also
for their intelligence network. With the Naxal threat being real and present,
questions are being raised about the effectiveness of the training project.
After being trained by the paramilitary forces, the girls risk being forcibly
recruited by the Maoists. The danger is so great that even the CRPF officers who
are training the girls have asked them to keep mum about the programme.
The deputy commandant of 94 battalion in Khunti, Birendra Kumar, said, "The
girls when they will join the job, we want that the girls should not expose
themselves. We also advise parents that they should not disclose that their girl
was undergoing training... There is a threat to these trained girls."
The Maoists have been desperate to get these girls to join them to not only help
in combat but also to strengthen their intelligence network. The girls themselves
admitted that they were living in constant fear.
Fatima, who works as a private security guard in Patna, told Headlines Today,
"Our parents think that if we get training, Naxals will take us forcibly. They come
to our houses almost everyday in Latehar. We are afraid of Naxals and they
come in large numbers."
Another private security guard in Patna, Renu Kumari, said, "Jharkhand is Naxal-
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hit area. Parents were afraid to send us for training. They warned me that if I go
for training, Naxals will take me away and force into their organisation."
There is another problem that these girls have been facing. Even after
undergoing extensive training, people are sceptical of employing them as
security guards.
Bhartiya Kisaan Sangh director Sanjay Mishra said in Patna, "Many people see
such girls as a liability. Jahrkhand is Naxal-infested area. People think hiring
such girls may lead to security issue. People have no faith whether these girls
can provide proper security." Now, the CRPF's intention behind empowering
tribal girls by giving them self-defence training is also being questioned.
Patna-based human rights activist Shashi Bhushan Pathak said, "Empowering of
women by training is useless logic given by the CRPF. Why is CRPF imparting
such training? This is not para forces job. Naxals are tribal and girls are also
tribal from same area. Forces want to eliminate Naxals through these tribal
girls." Though the CRPF's effort might be honest and intent pure, but outcome
might not be as good as one would expect.
Girls' families asked not to reveal their whereabouts
Apart from the girls themselves, their families too feel scared of Maoists as they
realise that it would be tough to drag the trained ones into their cadres and to
brainwash them in the name of revolution.
Taramuni of Rewa basti in Khunti was reluctant to send her daughter Basanti for
training with the CRPF personnel. Her fears have come true. Ever since Basanti
went for training a month ago, Taramuni has been receiving threats from the
Naxals. The CRPF has now advised Taramuni not to divulge much about her
daughter's training to anyone.
Basanti's mother Taramuni said, "Basanti is in Khunti for training. I cannot say
what sort of training she is undergoing." Basanti said, "At home, relatives are
not aware about my training. Only close family members know about the
training."
Girls are known to succumb to family pressure which would be manifold in these
cases. Chances are high that they might quit and return to square one to avoid
trouble back home.
The commandant of 197 battalion said, "Naxals will never want that youth move
towards development and take training from police or CRPF. They want that
youth stay with them and take training in their camps and support them."
Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/tribal-girls-learn-self-defencetechniques-in-jharkhand/1/183396.html
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Ranchi, Sept. 20: Senior inspector Shivani Shivaji Roys brave journey into the
sleazy corridors of human trafficking to rescue Pyari, a girl she is fond of, and
busting a gang led by a young Delhi-based kingpin Karan alias Walt, is
Bollywood fiction.
In fact, for Jharkhand, which wants to curb human trafficking by focussing on
conduit points Ranchi and Delhi, Mardaani, the recent Rani Mukherjee film on
fighting this menace, is a big inspiration.
At a meeting on September 15 at Jharkhand Bhavan, New Delhi, between
International Labour Organisation (ILO) and a high-level state delegation led by
chief secretary Sudhir Prasad, participants spoke on setting up migration rescue
centres in Ranchi and Delhi, and then followed it up by watching Mardaani. The
ILO organised the film screening.
Chief secretary Prasad apart, the state delegation comprised social welfare
department principal secretary Rajiv Arun Ekka, labour commissioner Manish
Ranjan, labour secretary Rahul Sharma, CID and Jharkhand police officers,
officials of NGOs Bhartiya Kisan Sangh (BKS) and Save The Children.
In the meeting, chief secretary Prasad stressed on the need to check human
trafficking in the tribal-dominated state by setting up rescue centres with an
integrated toll-free number at Ranchi and Delhi.
In Delhi, the centre will be based at Jharkhand Bhawan or South Extension Part
1. Its Ranchi counterpart will operate out of state labour department at Doranda.
BKS secretary Sanjay Mishra, who spelt out the magnitude of trafficking in
Jharkhand, said on a yearly average, 30,000 girls leave or are forced to leave
the state. Most middlemen, or women, usually from the same village as the
victims, entice girls to work as maids in metros. Once they reach the city, socalled placement agencies send them to households where they are often
assaulted and exploited sexually. Most girls are teenagers, many minors.
Responding to the urgency of the situation, labour commissioner Ranjan said
they would try their best to open the twin centres in October.
Ranchi and Delhi centres will be manned by 12 officials each, including
representatives of departments such as labour, social welfare, home and HRD as
well as members of BKS and Save The Children, Ranjan added.
Our chief secretary has taken this initiative. It will definitely help check
trafficking and prosecute those accused, he said. Members of the ILO, present
at the meeting, have appreciated the concept.
CID inspector-general Sampat Meena, who launched a toll-free number in March
to report missing persons, said: The number is useful. And, it will help the
activities at both centres.
The centres will check trafficking, provide counselling to rescued victims and
prosecute the trafficker with the help of Delhi and Ranchi police. Each
department involved will have their role cut out. For instance, labour department
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will provide data of those leaving the state, social welfare will help in rehab of
the rescued, home will register cases and trace traffickers in actual operations,
BKS functionary Mishra added.
Labour commissioner Ranjan added that he liked Mardaani. It was a chilling
eye-opener. We are well aware that our state is a prime source of trafficking and
many girls dont return.
Meena, as a policewoman herself, said she appreciated the character of the
tough cop essayed by Rani Mukherjee. She personified courage under fire,
coupled with cool thinking. I believe more such films should be made. Curbing
trafficking is an issue dear to my heart. I have directed all SPs to check
trafficking, especially children, she said.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1140921/jsp/frontpage/story_18856833.jsp#.V
RDwO_yUfBQ
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The man
trafficked
tribal kids;
explores a
underbelly
modern
slavery
who
5,000
DNA
dark
of
day
It is estimated that every tribal hamlet in the naxal-affected Simdega-GumlaKhunti region of Jharkhand has at least one missing child. All of them trafficked
as unpaid domestic helps or sex slaves across India that has earned it the
notorious tag of being the country's unofficial 'slavery belt'. dna travelled to
remote villages meeting rescued tribal slaves and parents whose kids have never
returned. Behind the tales of horror, is a network of human traffickers whose
way of functioning the police are yet to decipher.
The Jharkhand Police nabbed Panna Lal Mahto in October 2014 from a house in
Delhi's Shakurpur locality. He is one of the 35 kingpins who operate a heinous
network supplying Delhi homes with tribal kids who work unpaid for years. dna
studied witness accounts, hand-written police notes, confession statements and
documents recovered from Mahto's residence in Delhi to deconstruct his modusoperandi and of others like him.
Mahto states that he started off in 2003 with four girls from his village of
Ganoliya who he placed as domestic helps for a sum of Rs 1,000 per month in
Delhi. He earned his first commission of Rs 8,000 for the job. After 11 months,
he sent them back instructing each girl to bring back three more from their
neighbouring villages to Delhi within a month. "I also got in touch with people at
churches and villagers who were willing to become my agents for little money,"
says Mahto in his confession.
One of the girls who was brought back was Sunita, who soon became his wife. "I
got her employed as a domestic maid. I felt attracted to her and married her
that year," reveals Mahto. With a rapidly growing portfolio of tribal girls who
were getting even more girls from the slavery belt every year, Mahto struck it
rich.
Delhi was an ideal place for his business to flourish. "Almost every household in
Delhi, from that of judges and politicians to bureaucrats and MNC executives,
employ domestic helps. Working couples barely have time to do household
chores. All they want is a placement agent who can supply them a maid at the
lowest cost," says Rishi Kant of Shakti Vahini, an NGO.
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During interrogation, Mahto revealed to the police that his main agents keep in
touch with young men and women in most villages of the Simdega-KhuntiGumla slavery belt. These young men and women act as 'sub agents', who lure
kids, mostly tribal girls in the villages, with a promise of better life in Delhi.
According to Mahto, they are paid a sum of Rs 15,000 to get the 'consignment'
to Ranchi railway station from remote villages in the slavery belt. At the station
another agent takes possession and is entrusted with the task of transporting
them to the placement agency in Delhi. At the New Delhi railway station,
another agent waits for the arrivals. After they are taken to the placement
agency, the Ranchi agent gets a commission of Rs 40,000. "Rescued girls we
spoke to said that many of them were forced to have sex on the night of
arrival," says Sita Swansi of Diya Seva Sansthan.
Upon arrival at Mahto's placement agencies, most girls were given new names.
In their identification documents, the minors were shown as above 18 years of
age. "From the files recovered from Mahto's home, I saw one case where the
identity of the girl had been changed four times in one year," says the
investigating officer, Aradhna Singh. Mahto has confessed to having trafficked
over 5,000 tribal kids. That number might be just the tip of the iceberg.
The Jharkhand CID and the Delhi Police have a list of 34 other traffickers.
Most are known criminals in Jharkhand but operate in India's capital. The police
are yet to crack this web that supplies tribals to Delhi from India's unofficial
slavery belt.
TOMORROW: In this second of the three-part series, dna explores the blacklist
of traffickers and how poor investigative capabilities have literally killed the
prospect of arresting these modern-day slave traders.
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-the-man-who-trafficked-5000tribal-kids-2054695
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own
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New Delhi after dark at 8:50 pm. The nature of the journey significantly reduces
the threat of interception at the station of origin, halts and arrival.
The Railway Protection Force or the local police in either Delhi or Ranchi mostly
don't inspect 'Slavery Express'. "Even if we suspect someone they say they are
going with their relatives. How can we prove that it is a case of trafficking?" asks
an RPF officer at Ranchi.
Once they arrive in Delhi, the trafficked kids are sent to placement agencies.
Most of the 240 placement agencies under the scanner of the state police are
based in the locality of Shakurpur in Outer Delhi. The locality is a maddening
maze of three- or four-storeyed brick houses. They are packed together with
barely any space to walk or for sunlight to trickle in. Law enforcement agencies
have often found it hard to penetrate this maze to carry out an investigation and
join the dots to bust the bigger network of traffickers. The Jharkhand CID has
been planning to conduct a joint operation with the Delhi police for over a year
now. But none of their plans have yet seen the light of the day.
dna accompanied Delhi and Chhattisgarh police during a joint raid in
November. On expected lines, the owner of the placement agency escaped
before the police managed to locate the house. Inside, the police recovered four
minors, all tribal kids from Jharkhand.
The Global Slavery Index 2013, released by the UN, estimates that half of the
world's 30 million slaves are in India. Nations like Gambia, Gabon and Ivory
Coast have fewer slaves in proportion to their population, compared with India.
The report notes, "Information is not available about the Indian Government's
total budget allocation to responding to modern slavery. The Ministry of Home
Affairs, along with UNODC, developed standard operating procedures (SOPs) for
the identification of victims of traffic king, in 2009. State governments were
advised to implement them, but as of March 2013 no evaluation of the
implementation of the SOPs has been conducted."
Most of the modern day slaves in India continue to be tribals and dalits with little
knowledge of the world beyond their hamlets. In India's 'slavery belt' every
village bears testimony to this trade in humans. The 'Slavery Express' might help
young tribals escape a life of grinding poverty in their villages. But little do they
know that hell starts where the train terminates.
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-poor-policing-lets-slave-traders-off-thehook-2054885
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India's Slavery Belt: Battered and bruised, some return, some are
never to be seen again..
Sai Manish in DNA Times
The road to Jahupkokotoli village in the Maoist-hit district of Gumla is a
contradiction of sorts. As the two-lane road snakes through the forests and
rolling hills of the Chottanagpur plateau, bauxite-laden trucks are the only
constant reminder of activity here. Yet the public transport to this part of
Jharkhand from the state capital Ranchi is rickety. The only bus everyday is as
uncertain as life in this extremely backward region of India.
Despite the lack of public transport, thousands of tribal boys and girls from
Gumla-Khunti-Simdega region, India's unofficial 'slavery belt', are transported
and trafficked to upper middle class and rich homes of Delhi. After a period of
enslavement and unpaid forced labour, many return battered and bruised. Some
are never to be seen again. Some still carry on.
In Jahupkokotoli, an aboriginal hamlet of 160 Oraon tribal families, 45-year-old
Mathoo comes running with a picture of his 14-year-old daughter. "Help me find
her. I haven't seen her after she went away in 2007," says Mathoo. His daughter
would be 21 now, but Mathoo doesn't know her fate after she was taken by a
'placement agent' from a neighbouring village to Delhi to work as a domestic
help. Within two months, the agent sent Mathoo Rs 1000 as a payment for his
daughter's 'services'. Next year, he called up the agent again to inquire about
his daughter. "The agent said that my daughter had run away and that he did
not know her whereabouts. I do not know whether she is dead or alive," says
Mathoo.
A few houses away from Mathoo's is the hut of Hari Oraon. His 16-year-old
daughter Pramila was taken by an agent to Delhi in early 2014. But she
'escaped' within four months and came back. According to her statement to
police, Pramila was taken to Delhi by another woman of the same village in the
promise of a better life. As soon as she arrived in Delhi she was escorted to a
Shakurpur-based placement agency by an agent. They took her finger prints on
a piece of paper and sent her to work as a domestic maid at three different
homes in Delhi. Facing ill-treatment and not having been paid by any of her
employers or the placement agency, Pramila escaped.
Lost on the streets in Delhi, she begged another woman to take her home. The
woman instead handed her over to the Delhi police. The Delhi police handed
her over to a shelter home in the capital from where she was taken to Kishori
Niketan, a rehab centre for trafficked women in Bijupara, Jharkhand.
Finally in April 2014, she was re-united with her family. For her work as
a domestic help in Delhi, Pramila wasn't paid any money. "The police left her in
nearby Bishunpur from where we picked her up and got her home," says Hari
Oraon. "She says she will never go back to Delhi."
Off the road from Bishunpur lies the Dalit village of Hadiya Toli, literally
translating into 'wine village'. There is no road connectivity to the village and
reaching here requires walking a kilometre on a dusty track. The name of 15year-old Sarita alias Budhni evinces a peculiar response from the village men.
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"That Dilli-return?", one asks with a wry smile. "Who knows where she is," says
another. "Ask her mother. She might know." We find her mother working
outside her hut and as the conversation about her daughter nears completion,
she says, "Who will marry her now? Who knows what might have happened to
her in Delhi?"
Sarita disappeared from her house in 2013 with five other girls after an agent in
her village promised her lucrative money in Delhi. Sarita says, "I was promised a
monthly wage of Rs 5000. After working four months for an agency in Motinagar
in Delhi, I asked for some money. They refused and locked me up instead. I
begged to let me go home. But they said I cannot go home before I completed
five years. Then one day the police raided the place and they took me in their
custody," says Sarita. She was finally sent home in April 2013.
"There were other girls in that house. I do not know what happened to them. I
did not even get the money for my work," says Sarita. When asked about the
nature of her work, Sarita maintains an uneasy silence. Sarita is lucky enough to
be back in her village. Even though her village doesn't have either
electricity, drinking water supply or roads, she feels safer here than in any of
Delhi's slave holes.
Phulin Murmu, 18, however doesn't want to return to her village. Phulin Murmu
is not a name that would ring a bell. But when she was found burnt, battered
and bitten in a house in South Delhi's posh Vasant Kunj locality it made national
headlines in October 2013. She was found in the house of Vandana Dhir, an
executive with a French multinational. Murmu's body bore hot girdle-induced
burn marks, deep scars on the head and bite marks all over her body. She was
forced to drink urine, prevented from using the bathroom and confined in the
house in a semi-naked condition before being rescued. She was working unpaid
for two years before being rescued.
dna tracked her down at a rehabilitation centre in Khunti, one of the hardest
hit districts of the slavery belt. She is being educated and trained at the Mahilya
Samkhya Society, which she shares with around 30 other minor girls, many of
whom are rescued slaves. Phulin can barely write her name, the scars still show
on her face. But she details her three years of enslavement with a brave face
and with no emotion. "It is for the first time that I am seeing her talk so openly.
It seems she is recovering well from the trauma," says Asha Kusum, the warden
of the institution. The Mahilya Samkhya Society is wary of letting Phulin rejoin
her parents in her village. They ask her father to come to town for Christmas.
They don't want to take a chance again. "Most kids are from extremely poor
tribal families. Their parents will send them to Delhi for any small amount. Phulin
is safe here from poverty and from agents who would want to prey on her
again. She is still scared inside. She will only get better," says Ms Kusum.
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-battered-and-bruised-some-return-someare-never-to-be-seen-again-2055157
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Maid To Order
Domestic workers, particularly young women and juveniles trucked in from
Jharkhand, West Bengal, Assam, Odisha and Nepal-all well-known poaching
grounds for human traffickers-bear the worst brunt.
By Asit Jolly and Asmita Bakshi | India Today Mon 2 Dec, 2013
Sounds of the raucous street below fade away quickly. Four floors above, at the
top of a steep, dark, mosquito-infested stairwell in Delhi's Kotla Mubarakpur
village, five young Bengali women mutely alternate between the tiny spots of
sunshine on the brief terrace one floor up and the only available sitting space on
the stone-and-concrete steps. The adjacent 9x9 office, neatly fitted out with a
cushioned settee, framed prints of Da Vinci's Mona Lisa and Jesus Christ and a
computer, is off limits to them.
Welcome to Ranju Enterprises, one of the oldest among scores of placement
agencies supplying domestic help-maids, cleaning women, cooks, nannies, even
drivers, guards and occasional dog-walkers-to Delhi's burgeoning population of
upwardly mobile middle-class households.
International Labour Office estimates peg the decadal growth in domestic work
opportunities across India between 1999-2000 and 2008-2009 at a frenetic 222
per cent with 4.2 million household workers in the country at the beginning of
the current decade. Nearly a third of these, 2.95 million, are women.
Dodgy Dealers
Forty-year-old Mahendra Subba, a Nepali of Bhutanese extraction, runs Ranju
Enterprises from the grubby quarters that include his office, three-room home
and the dingy stairwell,invariably occupied by young women-fresh 'candidates'
from Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, and 'old hands' scoping for new employers. It is all
within shouting distance but conveniently invisible to the khaki uniforms inside
the local police station.
Ranju Enterprises is apparently among the 'better' deals; the city is literally
spotted with dozens of fly-by-night set-ups operating from even more
impossible-to-find locations and almost always via constantly changing mobile
phone numbers.
In northwest Delhi's Shakurpur area, Krish Enterprises is not just present on
Internet search portals, but boasts of multiple phone lines on an independent
website that features distinctly Caucasian women that ostensibly are part of its
workforce of maids, nannies and care-givers for the old and infirm. But four of
the five phones listed on the company's website are duds and there is nobody at
its offices in Shakurpur's dda Market.
"Umesh nahi hain. Bahar desh jaye rahen hain. Pandrah-bees din ke baad
lautenge (Umesh is not here. He is out of town and will be back after 15-20
days)," the fifth phone number finally elicits a response from a woman with a
distinctly Bhojpuri accent.
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"Kya ladkiyan lane gaye hain? (Has he gone to bring girls?)," we ask. "Haan ji?
hame pata nahi (Yes? I don't know)," she quickly backtracks. Umesh is either
missing in action or quite simply chary of risky encounters with clients who feel
duped.
All the way from Delhi to Mumbai, it's a familiar story. Twenty-six-year-old
Janhvi Bellare Salvi from Thane, a pr account manager at the MSL Group, says
she was swindled by Exel Manpower, a placement agency working from a shack
in Govandi. Desperate for a housemaid, Salvi handed over Rs 4,500 as
'processing charges' to Amir Sheikh, a well-spoken young man who showed up
at her doorstep on behalf of Exel in September. After he scooted with the cash,
Salvi staged a minor sting operation of her own: "I got a friend to register for
the same service and informed the police half an hour before the man was to
come and collect the processing fees," she says. Both Sheikh and the company's
owner Suresh Gehlot were nabbed. They are presently on bail pending trial for
cheating in the case.
The story gets endlessly replicated in both Mumbai and Delhi.
Rita Singh, a 57-year-old single woman in South Delhi, agreed to pay Rs 15,000
as a recurring annual retainer to a Panchsheel Park-based placement agency. "I
contacted agents and they sent me a maid who decided to take off to her village
barely two months after she first showed up," she says. The agents simply
stopped responding to Rita's frantic calls, forcing her to initiate legal action.
"These guys are nothing but a bunch of crooks," she says.
Big-bucks Business
Subba, who 'places' 100 to 150 maids in South Delhi households every year,
says "this business just isn't what it used to be". Yet he encouraged his 25-yearold son Rajeev to drop out of college and join him fulltime. For each housemaid
Ranju Enterprises supplies, it charges clients a non-refundable commission of Rs
25,000 that is good only for 11 months. Subba says as much as 70 per cent of
the money goes to sub-agents who bring in the women, mostly sourced from tea
gardens in Jalpaiguri.
The real money is made by periodically shifting domestic workers from one
household to another well ahead of 11 months. Subba admits that most of his
earnings come from 'recycling': "Moving a maid who is already working means
the agency gets the entire Rs 25,000 commission. There are no sub-agents to be
paid off."
More dubious organisations like Krish Enterprises rake in commissions of up to
Rs 50,000 per domestic help besides an unspecified percentage of her salary.
"Clients, usually working couples, seldom have the time to chase after agents
when their maids suddenly vanish," says Ajay, a former agency employee who
now drives a cab in West Delhi.
Harried Housekeepers
It's not just about duped householders. Domestic workers, particularly young
women and juveniles trucked in from Jharkhand, West Bengal, Assam, Odisha
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and Nepal-all well-known poaching grounds for human traffickers-bear the worst
brunt. Fifty-two-year-old Kabi Karki, who heads Save Nepali Mission, a voluntary
collective committed to rescuing and restoring domestic workers in distress to
their homes and families, says, "Migrations to big metros like Mumbai and Delhi
are impossible to stop unless there is a drastic improvement in the source
areas." In 2011 winter, Karki and his friends rescued five underage Nepali
women from a placement agency in Delhi's Majnu Ka Tila area. "They were kept
like animals with almost no food," he recalls.
The investigation by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights
(NCPCR) into the unexplained deaths of 14-year-old schoolgirls Jyoti Mariam
Horo and Jaymani Gurriya, trafficked from Jharkhand's Khunti district to Delhi's
Chirag Dilli area this April, was a particularly rude reality check. The girls'
fathers, Sukhram Gurriya and Navin Horo, struggle to feed their families with
meagre earnings from occasional farm work. Six adult members of the Gurriya
family received just 30 days' nrega work in 2006-2007. Horo got only 18 days'
work in the past three years, making it impossible even to pay his monthly
house rent of Rs 100. "There was less than 200 grams of food in the house when
our team visited Kamra Simar Toli village on May 22," says ncpcr member Vinod
Tikoo.
Tortured and Abused
No less horrific was the cold-blooded murder of Rakhi, a 35-year-old from West
Bengal's South 24 Parganas district who was allegedly bludgeoned to death on
November 4 by Bahujan Samaj Party MP Dhananjay Singh's wife. In October
2011, the Delhi Police booked a Kaushambi-based doctor for allegedly raping his
20-year-old housemaid over months. A year earlier, another young woman
placed by Subba's Ranju Enterprises was brutally tortured with blades and a hot
iron before she managed to flee from the house of a divorced single woman in
Rajouri Garden. This October, an airhostess with Air India was booked on
charges of torturing and physically abusing a 12-year-old girl she had illegally
engaged to work in her posh Vasant Kunj apartment.
A 33-page report by the US-based Human Rights Watch, International Domestic
Workers Network and International Trade Union Confederation, on October 28
includes India among the worst offenders where domestic helps are faced with
"horrific abuses". Yet the draft national policy for the protection and welfare of
domestic workers put together by a labour ministry-constituted task force in
September 2011 with recommendations from the National Advisory Council
headed by upa Chairman Sonia Gandhi still awaits legislation.
Get Domestic Help, one of Delhi's better-known placement agencies, estimates
that nearly 2.5 million households seek at least one domestic worker in tier-one
cities annually. Virtually unregulated and completely unorganised, the sector
remains a cesspit of exploitation and abuse-a dark and seldom seen corner of
Emerging India.
- With Sonali Acharjee
https://in.news.yahoo.com/maid-to-order-113238495.html
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Shakti Vahini